Skid steer loaders are vehicles possessing a high degree of maneuverability and which are propelled and maneuvered by driving the wheels on one side of the vehicle at a different speed and/or in a different direction from those on the other side so as to achieve a turning motion. In the case where the wheels on one side are driven forwardly and those on the opposite side reversely, the loader will turn on its axis or, in other words, spin in its own tracks.
In many instances, the machine must work in low clearance areas. Initial efforts to produce a machine having the capability of low clearance applications as well as high maneuverability were successful, but such machine was limited with respect to load and capacity and the drive system of such machine was not readily adapted to higher capacity applications. Thus, a machine having a low vehicle clearance was achieved, however, only at the cost of a substantial modification of the system and such drive system was not adaptable to higher capacity machines and applications.